diff --git a/src/opnsense/scripts/unbound/start.sh b/src/opnsense/scripts/unbound/start.sh
index 1ccf59004..54188acce 100755
--- a/src/opnsense/scripts/unbound/start.sh
+++ b/src/opnsense/scripts/unbound/start.sh
@@ -59,10 +59,10 @@ for FILE in $(find /usr/local/etc/unbound.opnsense.d -depth 1 -name '*.conf'); d
 	cp ${FILE} /var/unbound/etc/
 done
 
-# preload the blocklist cache so the dnsbl hook can properly diff on it
-cp /usr/local/etc/unbound.opnsense.d/dnsbl.conf /tmp/unbound_dnsbl.cache || true
+# XXX remove obsolete file, last used in 22.7
+rm -f /usr/local/etc/unbound.opnsense.d/dnsbl.conf
 
-chown -R unbound:unbound /var/unbound
+chown -R unbound:unbound /var/unbound || true
 
 /usr/local/sbin/unbound -c /var/unbound/unbound.conf
 /usr/local/opnsense/scripts/unbound/cache.sh load